


Autumnal warmth

by wednesday_ukiru



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: 6 things that make jj think heid is real and one walk in a park that makes her sure of it, Babysitting, Fluff, Happy Ending, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kisses in the rain, M/M, Romance, but you probably wont notice, hallowen-ish, i fucked up canon timeline, jj notices and has a crisis for a hot second, plot what plot i only know fluff, the team starts to notice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26862631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wednesday_ukiru/pseuds/wednesday_ukiru
Summary: JJ agrees to babysit Jack for a day and a half. Jack is at that age, where he likes to imitate everything his father does, including his job. That, surprisingly, leads to some new discoveries about Hotch’s personal life.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid
Comments: 18
Kudos: 277





	Autumnal warmth

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea if some of the phrases in this one are used correctly. I don't know if you say in English that people who are in love mix up salt and sugar and if you call old smart people "old fox" but at this point I don't care.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it some <3

JJ took a sip of her coffee, starting to feel a little warmer. She changed hands, putting the right one in her pocket and holding the coffee cup with her left because, despite the drink being hot, the other side of her hand was getting ice-cold in a matter of minutes. The wind found it’s way underneath her heavy coat and she thought that she’s gonna have to ask Hotch where he kept the warmer blankets. 

Even though she was only going to be Jack’s babysitter for a day and a half, she still was a little worried. Crossing the street, she thought back to how stressed Hotch was himself, asking her about this. He seemed agitated, yet somehow almost happily excited, like he was looking forward to something. JJ could almost bet it was a date and she just couldn’t stop trying to imagine what kind of woman would get Hotch this exhilarated. 

Blond? Brunette? Hotch didn’t seem to have a preference there. Is she commanding or soft? How did they meet? Hotch doesn’t go out much, and Rossi swore that the last time they were out, the only thing Hotch was hugging was a glass of whiskey. Another runner girl? A teacher? Maybe, some other parent? 

By the time JJ got to Hotch’s apartment, her coffee got just as cold as the pointless investigation she was trying to lead in her head. It was easier to ask Hotch himself anyway, although probably not right now. He’d dodge the question anyway. 

“Hey, good morning, JJ”, said Hotch, smiling at her. She only managed to smile back, before the little tornado named Jack rushed up to her, hugged her in a little jump and stormed back inside the apartment screaming something about teeth, cartoons and cereal. JJ raised an eyebrow and looked at Hotch. 

“He’s late for his cartoons”, explained he. 

“Ah, I see”, said JJ, entering the apartment. There was something different about the interior, but she didn’t think much of it. She hasn't been here for almost half a year, of course some things were going to be different.

“How’s Henry doing?”, asked Hotch, closing the door behind her. 

“Thrilled about going to the aquarium with his grandma”, JJ took off her shoes and followed Hotch into the kitchen. She noticed that the shirt on her boss was brand new, and not really his normal white or black office shirt. It was still a button up, still kinda official looking, but much more styled.  _ “So, definitely a date” _ , thought JJ. 

While Jack was eating his cereal, Hotch briefed her about when he’s going to be back, where the warmer blankets are and how Jack recently developed an obsession with herbs and alchemy, so _ “please, don’t let this Snape wannabe eat anything dangerous” _ . 

“He read “Harry Potter” already?”, laughed JJ. Hotch’s smile faltered and he cleared his throat. 

“Not quite yet. The keys and the credit card are on the table in the hallway, as always.”

“I’m not taking your credit card, Hotch”, protested JJ. That last exchange was weird, but Hotch almost successfully diverted her attention.

“Yes, you are, any objection is overruled”, Hotch got up from his chair and looked at Jack. “Buddy, you promise to behave with aunt Jennifer?” 

“Aha”, agreed Jack. “I promise.”

Hotch gave him a hug before leaving and soon enough it was just JJ and Jack in the apartment. JJ followed Hotch with her eyes from the window and thought that whoever that woman is, she must be very lucky. Because judging from the pep in Hotch’s step and from his relaxed face, and that little sparkle in his eyes… he was helplessly in love. And if JJ knew anything about Hotch, it was that his  _ real _ love was something long lasting, something not a lot of people had. Hotch never had “crushes” or one night stands, he was a classical, old-fashioned romantic, and the last time JJ saw him this happy was somewhere after Jack was born. 

“Can I tell you a secret?”, JJ turned around and faced Jack, who was looking at her with wide open eyes. 

“Sure”, she crouched to be on the same level with the kid. “What is it?”

“You know how dad can always tell when I’m lying that I didn’t eat the candy?”, whispered Jack.

“Yeah”, drawled JJ. “It’s probably the wrapping that gives you away.”

“I know!”, Jack almost jumped up, flapping his hands. “I figured that out last year! But!”, he gasped for air, clearly way too excited. “But yesterday when I came from aunt Jessie, I noticed that the halloween candy was not in the same order as I made it.”

“You… arranged halloween candies?”, asked JJ, unable to hide her grin. 

“Yeah, skulls need to be with skulls and then the pumpkins but only the black and white ones, the orange ones are after the green lollipop skeletons, and the ghosts are before the bats”, eagerly launched into an explanation Jack. “Anyway… I noticed they were not in order and I decided to  _ investigate _ ”, he straightened up and took a deep breath. “Dad ate them!”

JJ gasped and put a hand over her mouth in pretend surprise. 

“How did you figure that out?”, she asked. 

“There were five candy wrappers in the bin”, said Jack, clearly proud of himself. “But… I know dad doesn’t like the black pumpkins, cause they’re with licorice… and there were three of them. So… I don’t really understand”, admitted he, lowering his head. 

“That was still a really good job you did”, praised JJ, patting his hair. Jack was at that age when a kid wants to imitate his parents in everything, including the job. 

_ “So, the mysterious lady likes licorice” _ , thought JJ. The sun went out from it’s hiding place behind the heavy clouds and she smiled. Jack beamed back at her.  _ “She better like Jack, too.” _

By lunch time she they already played with Jack’s little army of soldiers and policemans, then played out him going on a journey with his favourite toy dog Ralf (it was a plushie bigger than Jack and JJ honestly didn’t know how the kid managed to actually run around the room with it as fast as he did) and read one book. JJ sat Jack down on the couch with another book and retracted to the kitchen to make some spaghetti. Jack almost tried to claim that he wasn’t hungry, but JJ knew that in half an hour his stomach would be grumbling. She opened some cabinetes, looking for a pan, when she caught sight of something… weird. 

It was just a bag of coffee. What’s so weird about coffee? JJ stared at it for a moment, trying to realise what her mind was going off about. Hotch drinks coffee. Everyone drinks it. The bag is normal, black,  _ “medium roast, irish cream flavoured”...  _

_ “Wait a second.” _

Aaron was one of those freaks (in JJ’s opinion) who drank their coffee only black, no milk, no sugar, and never ever was it coffee with some sort of flavour. However, a certain doctor was known for drinking specifically irish cream flavoured coffee. It was his favourite, JJ even gifted it to him last Christmas. 

She reached out for the pot and closed the cabinet. This was getting a little too bizarre for her comfort. JJ never liked snooping around her colleagues lifes, but the longer she worked at the BAU, the less she could control what she notices and what she lets slip. She was getting way too aware of everyone’s feelings and personal issues, and it took her a long time to learn how to look the other way and just straight up ignore some things for the sake of everyone’s well-being. This one was ruining everything, because she just couldn’t ignore it. 

JJ was now both curious and a little concerned. The coffee and licorice were not much of an evidence, but she was willing to keep her eyes open from now on, and look for more. However, right at that moment she focused on getting lunch ready.

A bit later her and Jack went out for a walk and played some very unprofessional game of ball. Jack got his shirt so dirty, JJ was pretty sure that after drying it would be able to just stand in the corner as a weird statue. But she was not about to let it happen, so after coming back to the apartment JJ went straight to the bathroom. 

The washing machine already had something in it, but wasn’t actually on. JJ opened it and froze for a second. Not that there was anything actually horrifying in there, no. Just some socks. Not even all that dirty. 

Colourful, mismatched socks. With dinosaurs and bats. Too big to be Jack’s.

JJ rubbed her forehead and sighed. This was getting progressively more interesting. 

After turning the washing machine on, she came back to Jack and made sure he had some water. She shot a text to Hotch, confirming that everything was okay. He answered almost ten minutes later, which was… not really unusual, but it was definitely a sign that he was having a good time. Whoever he was with. 

If she’s right about it, and Hotch is dating  _ Spencer _ … JJ thought back to the last interaction these two had. The way they said goodbye to each other on Friday. Hotch had the corners of his lips lifted. Spencer’s knuckles brushed against his shoulder. They walked with the group, Spencer was next to JJ, but on the other side of him was Hotch. Closer, than JJ. 

She thought about how they all went out last month for dinner and drinks after closing a hard case. They didn’t split away from the group but also didn’t leave each other not even for a second. JJ didn’t pay much mind to it because Spence was always a little uncomfortable in restaurants and such, so he would choose someone and just cling to them for the whole evening. But that day Spencer was sitting next to Hotch comfortably, touching shoulders with him, looking at him with a little smile, not really hiding behind him, not clinging. And Hotch’s eyes were glued to him, he missed half of Rossi’s jokes, just staring somewhere off. Rossi even joked that soon he’ll start mixing up salt and sugar. How did she _ heard,  _ but  _ didn’t understood  _ any of that? 

JJ spent the rest of the day thinking back to all the times she saw Hotch and Reid together. Watching one another, exchanging glances, giving lifts to the other’s house and going out for coffee. No one questioned any of that, everyone knew that Hotch was the one most likely to listen to Spencer’s rants, no matter the subject. JJ never really understood how he did that, always keeping his attention on Reid, even if he was going off about a topic no one in the room understood. Hotch was also the one who knew how to make that flow of words stop without hurting Spencer too much. 

When the sun came down and the sky turned a nice, pumpkin-like orange colour, JJ was still thinking about this whole thing in the back of her head. Jack asked her to read him something before bed so while he brushed his teeth, she stood by the bookshelf. Lost in thought, she caressed the spines of the books and suddenly realised one of them was way older, rougher and thicker than all the other ones. Under a closer look it turned out to be… 

Unless the translation app on her phone was fucking with her, it was _ “War and Peace” _ . Original. Casually tucked between a kid’s encyclopedia about space and  _ “The timeless collection of fairy tales”.  _ She carefully pulled it out and opened where the pages looked slightly raised. Instead of a bookmark there was a messy note with something that looked like some sort of mathematical or physical formula. 

JJ heard the water turning off and soon enough Jack was beside her. 

“Oh, Spencer forgot that last Sunday”, mentioned he, noticing the book in JJ's hands. 

“He did?”, almost rhetorically asked JJ. “I see.”

She picked out a book for Jack and quickly shot a text to Spencer.

_ “Hey, Spence. How’s your saturday evening going? Nice to finally have two days off work, right?” _

She read through the whole story, tucked Jack in and even sent another text to Hotch, asking if it was okay for her to watch something on his Netflix, before Spencer answered. It’s been a good half an hour. 

_ “everythings good, just reading. i needed this weekend, yeah. wby?” _

“Oh, he is  _ so  _ not in the mood to talk to me”, murmured JJ under her breath. Spencer would never stop at “just reading” if he was actually reading something. She would get an essay sized text that would discuss not only the plot, but also the writing style, author’s full background and the rundown on historical events that occured in the year of creating the book. Just as she was typing out a generic response that wouldn’t require Spence to answer, her phone dinged again. It was a message from Hotch. 

_ “Yes, it’s okay, you can watch whatever you want. The remote might be not in the living room, Jack tends to take it with him for whatever reason and then forgets to bring it back. He fell asleep alright?” _

It was always harder to read Hotch, so JJ couldn’t be sure what mood he was in. But she anyway decided not to drag out this conversation either. After answering the two messages, she went looking for the remote. It was indeed nowhere in the living room, so she checked the kitchen, Jack’s room, the entrance area and only then went to Hotch’s bedroom. 

She felt kinda bad, sneaking in here, especially with how things looked considering Spencer’s and Aaron’s relationship. She still might be wrong, but… 

JJ noticed the remote on the bedside table and sighed in relief. She didn’t see anything inappropriate, didn’t have to look under the bed or even look around at all… 

The doors of a built-in closet were opened. There were ties, a lot of them. Black, grey, dark blue, they didn’t stick out in the dimmed room, but one of them was different. It was a nice, pastel pink colour. JJ took the remote and thought about how a version of her from five years ago wouldn’t even question it. 

But this version of JJ could swear that Hotch would never buy a pink tie and that Spencer owned one, very similar to the one she was seeing right now, in Hotch’s closet. Maybe, wondered JJ, maybe it’s all just an unfortunate chain of accidents. Things being in wrong places, people being not in the mood. Maybe it’s Hotch’s “lady” that gave him that new shirt she saw this morning and also gave this tie, not knowing that it’s not Hotch’s style.

JJ would gladly believe that. That there was Spencer, forgetting books and notes in his colleague's apartment, and then there was Hotch’s girlfriend, coincidentally drinking the same coffee as Spence and eating candies with licorice. But the mismatched socks with dinosaurs in the washing machine and the pastel pink tie in Hotch’s bedroom were saying something else. Something more like  _ “your boss is dating your best friend” _ .

Tightly grabbing the remote, she left the room and sat down on a couch. For a bit she was just listening to the apartment noises: the creaking from upstairs, the running water somewhere, Jack turning and tossing in bed. Voices in the hallway and cars rushing by outside, tires screeching. All of these sounds indicating that the world was still going and that she’s not sleeping. 

JJ wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of them being together. And she also knew they were clearly not going to ask her opinion on this. But she just couldn’t imagine how this was going to work. They both were in the same field, a field where any one of them could end up in grave danger and there won’t be time for feelings. They as a team were vulnerable enough already, considering each other family and constantly getting into trouble because of that. Yet, she didn’t really think that them breaking up for the sake of it was going to do any good. Especially with how both of them tended to have longer periods of loving the same person. JJ closed her eyes and sighed. There was nothing really she could do. 

She opened Netflix and skimmed through the screen. In the “recently added” category was  _ “Star Trek”.  _

“Even here, huh”, quietly said JJ, shaking her head and trying not to smile. “Okay, Spencer, is there anything in this apartment you didn’t claim yet?” 

***

She left the next morning, when Hotch came back. Somehow, even though she didn’t say anything, it was awkward. Aaron was watching her way too closely, almost like he was expecting her to ask or just to confront him. And JJ almost wanted to, but… couldn’t. Hotch was unbelievably uncomfortable, but only in front of her. She saw it as he entered the door and met her eyes: his face went from being relaxed and happy to a tense expression, almost like the one he had during work. JJ knew, and it was making Hotch feel uneasy. 

She didn’t know what to think. JJ, obviously, wanted her friends to be happy, yet couldn’t help but worry. Workplace romance never in the history of forever went good in their department. At least not that JJ heard of. 

But then again, she heard of cases from the FBI in general. Not the BAU specifically.

She honestly, almost desperately wanted to believe that they’re going to be okay. But her rational side was not letting her. This inner conflict must have been written all over her forehead when she entered the office on Monday. 

Spencer looked at her once and immediately felt stressed. Avoiding eye contact with her, he got up from his desk and sneaked into Aaron’s office. 

“You know that she knows, right?”, blurted out Spencer. Hotch looked up to him from some case file and nodded. 

“Yes, she knows.”

“I don’t think she’s fine with that”, Spencer shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. The perspective of JJ telling someone was not scaring him. But the possibility of losing a friend definitely was. “I just…” 

He abruptly stopped on that sentence, just staring at an empty space. This whole thing was already getting way too complicated. They’ve only officially told Rossi about their relationship, and Rossi didn’t have any problems with it. Spencer wanted to tell JJ next, because he was sure that she’ll accept it just fine. But now… 

He unconsciously started fiddling with the end of his tie, frowning. The blank expression on his face told Aaron enough and he got up, catching Spencer’s elbow. 

“Let’s go for a walk”, softly said Aaron after getting his attention. Reid blinked a couple times, getting back to reality, and tried to argue.

“But it’s not even lunch time yet...”

“And?”

Spencer opened his mouth, closed it, opened again.

“It’s irresponsible to leave this early, a case could still come up and…”

“A case can come up any minute”, interrupted Hotch. “If it will come up and we won’t make it to the briefing, they’ll tell us everything on the plane. It’s going to be just fine, Spencer. You really need to get some fresh air, come on.”

Reid studied the view from the office window and nodded. He could feel the stress getting to him, turning his brain in a completely different direction. He was already pre constructing all the worst possible reactions JJ could have, and he didn’t even yet know any of her actual thoughts. 

He needed a distraction and he needed to calm down. And he was immensely grateful that Aaron picked up on that too. Aaron was good at this, sometimes knowing why Spencer was nervous, before Spencer himself could acknowledge that he wasn’t fine. And it was like that long before they started dating. 

They left without much fuss, if anyone paid any attention to them, they didn’t say anything. As soon as they got outside, Spencer felt goosebumps running up his arms. The air was not just fresh, it was like water with ice and Spencer couldn’t get enough of it right now. Aaron silently touched his hand with just fingertips and they went off.

Soon after them, Rossi and JJ exited the same building, far away enough to not be noticed by the other pair. They were quietly talking.

“I understand your concern, I do. But I think you’re missing a point there. You’ve said it yourself, this group has a certain familial bond. But that is what makes us more efficient, not just a weak spot”, Rossi was gesturing with his hands, walking beside JJ. Earlier this morning they started talking about their weekends and, of course, Rossi, the old fox, knew about Hotch and Reid. 

“But if someone wants to manipulate or threaten one of them, they… I- I just can’t help but think that they’re putting themself in more danger than this job already provides by itself”, sighed JJ. This conversation was circling the same subject over and over again, discussing every detail possible, just because JJ needed that. She needed someone to shatter all of her anxieties. At times she tended to get more paranoid and someone had to remind her that life consists of risks too, and you can't constantly tip-toe around everything. This time Rossi took that role. 

Still talking, they made it to a nearby park. Not many people were here this early, considering that this park didn’t have any playgrounds. They saw some old ladies in the distance, a young man walking a dog… And two very familiar figures not that far from the dog. 

“Oh, look who’s here too”, casually mentioned Rossi. JJ suspiciously looked him up and down but even if the man somehow planned this, he didn’t gave it up. 

“Look at them”, said Rossi, nodding toward Reid and Hotch. 

And JJ looked. Closely. 

Reid was gazing around, clearly rather at all the trees and their yellow crowns than at people. Then he immediately got distracted by the dog, big and fluffy St. Bernard was sniffing something out in the leaves on the ground. Spencer smiled and touched Hotch’s hand, pointing at the dog with his chin. Aaron smiled back but barely looked at the animal, fully focused on Spencer. He caught his hand and kept it close, intertwining their fingers. 

They passed the man with the dog and Spencer leaned closer to Hotch, pressing his forehead to Aaron’s shoulder for a split second. Hotch broke his hand away just to wrap it around Reid’s waist and kiss his temple. They fully stopped and Spencer rested his hands on Aaron’s back, slightly swaying back and forth. 

“I bet they’ll get a dog, if everything goes well”, broke the silence Rossi. “You do know that Reid likes dogs, but is afraid to get one, ‘cause a lot of them don’t like him?”

“And Jack wants a dog”, remembered JJ. “They… They really don’t see us?”

“I don’t think they’ll see an airplane right now, unless it lands on their heads”, chuckled Rossi. “They’re in love, and it’s making both of them better. Have you ever seen Hotch as calm and happy as he was lately? Or Reid as productive and not distracted by unrelated topics?” 

The questions were more rhetorical than not, so JJ just continued watching the couple. They moved on, holding hands again. Reid was slouching more than usual, as if he was trying to hide deeper in his coat. Hotch looked at him and asked something, Spencer shook his head “no” in response. Then Aaron sighed and slided Reid’s hand along with his own in his pocket. JJ could swear she saw blush making its way up to Reid’s ears, and it was not from the cold weather. 

“I think the sky is hinting that we got our fair share of stalking these two”, noticed Rossi, looking up. JJ glanced at the clouds, gathering above them, but then noticed the word usage. 

“Stalking? So you did know they’ll be here?”

“Eh, I might have seen them going in here, might have not… That doesn’t really matter, we have bigger concerns right now”, he said right when the first drop landed on JJ’s nose. 

Spencer was still ranting about something when Aaron realised his hair was getting wet. He looked up at the sky, framed by golden and firey-red leaves, that looked even brighter in contrast to dark clouds. 

“Spencer… We need to get back”, said Aaron. In mere seconds that it took Reid to lift his head, the rain has already started. And it went from zero to a hundred real quick. One moment it was just a soft drizzle and the next - pouring down like someone upstairs decided to drown humanity again. 

Spencer started laughing, putting his hands under the raindrops. Aaron pulled him toward one of the closest trees, starting to laugh too, not really knowing why. Something about Spencer being happy just made him feel all fuzzy inside. They stood there, Spencer burying his face in Aaron’s chest, giggling like they were five. Spencer could hear thunder somewhere far away and could feel Aaron’s chest vibrating from the bursts of laughter. He lifted his head and looked at Hotch, unable (and not willing, nor needing) to hide his smile. 

“Kiss me, love?”, asked Spencer, clutching the lapels of Aaron’s coat. He watched as Hotch’s smile widened, as the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes got more prominent. The rain was pouring through the tree’s crown and Spencer’s face was wet to the touch, but Aaron still caressed his cheekbone, leaning in and kissing him. Spencer moved one of his hands to the back of Aaron’s neck, ruffling his hair and smiling into the kiss. He could feel Aaron’s heartbeat, taste his ludicrous black, no sugar coffee on his tongue and smell both rain and his cologne, two of Spencer’s favourite scents. 

On the way back they got completely soaked. Somehow, Spencer managed to get into every puddle possible, not only making his shoes wet, but also splashing Aaron. They carelessly laughed about it, knowing that, thanks to their job, they had a change of clothes ready at the office. Not shoes, sadly, but that was manageable. When they got into the office, still both kinda giggling, they were greeted by Penelope. 

“You’re all wet! Oh my God, please don’t start catching colds now, I have a blow-dryer back there, I’ll help you with the hair”, she blabbered. 

“You have a blow-dryer here?”, questioned JJ, coming closer to them. 

“I practically live here sometimes, what am I supposed to do?”, rhetorically questioned Garcia. 

“I see you went for a walk too”, Rossi sneaked into the conversation. “JJ and I were just out, but I guess you two were not in a hurry to come back”, he smiled at both of them. Reid and Hotch froze in slightly uncomfortable silence. Observing their faces, JJ started biting her lips, trying not to smile, but failed miserably when Spencer opened his mouth.

“Well, we were having a really interesting conversation.”

"Yeah, sure", managed to squeeze out JJ between giggles.

The rain was still pouring down, rattling on the windows, but they all felt warm. Being with your family always makes you warm on the inside.


End file.
